Tribulation
by Fanaticastro Obsessive
Summary: Ed is a member of the church that rules Ametris. Roy is the leader of the rebels who oppose them. What wil happen when they meet? RoyEd rated m for smut in later schapters and Eds mouth. bad summary i know. plz dont hurt me!
1. Prologue

1

**1**

"Al...Al! Where are you!? AL!"

There were screams of terror. Fires; there were fires burning. It was hot, heat wafting in from every direction, stifling the boy. The distinct smell of charred flesh and seared wax made his head swim further -- this was a battlefield. He was literally in a ring of fire, the burning foundations of the great building slowly collapsing, piles of rubble blocking passageways. Smoke filled the air, blurring the room and making his eyes sting horribly. But he had to find him...Had to find his brother.

Someone screamed; an awfully familiar scream. Edward turned quickly, only to see the deep blue uniforms of the heretics, one figure standing out in particular. A snap somehow made its way through the barrage of noise, meeting the young boy's ears as he rushed forward. Black hair. Strange gloves that let the user emit fire into the air. It was the leader of the rebel group -- it had to be. At the man's feet, was Alphonse.

Another scream. Edward barely managed to make out the form of his last blood relative, going down in yellow-red flames. He didn't think, he just moved.

"Damn you! Bastard!" he cried, swinging furiously at the taller, blue-coated man. His unusually small form, combined with his sheer, 9-year-old youth, had little effect on the rebel. The defender deftly blocked, almost without care, as he looked down at the golden-eyed incarnation of fury.

"Really, such a young clergyman uttering obscenities?" he sneered, causing the boy to pause. Ed had just...

In that brief moment of respite, a dull 'thunk' resounded in the air. Abruptly, Edward's world started to spin, leaving only brief glimmers. The Elric felt warm liquid running across his cheek; his clothes were singed, he'd have to get a new robe when he got out of this; a glance, a smug smirk, its owner just above him; his brother, a wall of flames and screams.

He heard another scream above all that. His own voice.

Everything went black.

**2**

Everything was white. The ceiling was white. The sheets were white. Even his damn shirt was white. The clerics were working carefully on him, and when he looked to his left, on his brother as well.

When Edward tried to move, fire spread across his right arm. It hurt. Correction -- it hurt _a lot_. The nurses had warned that he shouldn't try to move; said that he may recover; noted that he'd have scars for the rest of his life even if he did. Smiled softly as they re-assured that they were meant to be there, that this was meant to happen. And then, everyone would cross themselves, leaving Ed feeling helpless and spiteful.

If god cared so much, why did he let such pain befall upon the earth?

When they would do that, Edward's normally serene features would curve down into a horrid scowl. Whenever that discontent appeared, however, Alphonse turned slightly to address his brother. Al was worse off, his arms and legs practically covered in bandages, torso and neck marred for life. He was obviously in pain...But still smiling.

"It's...ok, nii-san...It was...Meant to be..." he'd barely make out, and then he'd break into another coughing fit. Blood had seeped into his lungs, and was still in the process of draining out. It never made Ed feel any better. His brother was obviously fine with this, this life-changing accident that most probably ruined their future. Edward wasn't.

He'd fix everything. Then, they could both live happy, _norma_l lives.


	2. Chapter one

Deep within the basilica, two figures could be seen running, even though this was a holy place

Deep within the basilica, two figures could be seen running, even though this was a holy place. Of the two, the shorter was apparently dragging the taller along. Both were clad in the simple white robes of the acolytes, both were blond, young, but with eyes far too old for their age. They were brothers, hurrying through the maze-like hallways towards the main meeting hall.

"Al! We need to get there before class starts!" Edward said, running faster. They were late again -- but the older brother didn't mind. He was laughing as he ran, urging his brother to do the same.

"Oh! But...But 'nii-san! We left the books back in our room...!" Alphonse said, looking back the way they came. "We need them! I don't want to borrow Winry's bible again..."

Ed suddenly stopped, Al almost flung out of his firm grip at the sudden halt. "But...I thought you liked Winry?" the elder said, questioning. The other blushed a deep red.

"Nii-saaaan...I do _no_-"

Church bells began ringing, the deep tenor tones flowing steadily through the air. The brothers silenced instantly, looked at each other, and visibly paled.

"Ahh! Come on, we're gonna be late!" Edward said, suddenly dashing off in the general direction of the bells, soon followed by Alphonse.

"But we're _already_ late!" Al answered, rounding a corner, only to blink as he met white-washed walls and still air. The energetic, white-clad figure was gone. Again.

"'Nii-saaaan!"

**4**

The teacher looked up from her notes, addressing the class with a question. "Who can tell me about the heretics and the rebels?" the pink-haired lady asked, scanning the rows of bright-eyed pupils. She paused on Leo's outstretched hand, the transfer student obviously knowing and eager to prove himself. "Yes, Leo,"

The Ishbar boy stood, turning to face his teacher, "Miss Rose...The heretics are those that do not follow the teachings of the church, like we do. Normally, we live peacefully alongside them, but some gather together to practice the forbidden art of alchemy. Those groups are known as the rebels, recognizable by their blue suits and ruthlessness." After speaking, he bowed stiffly and sat back with the rest of the children.

"Very good! Now, who can tell me about why alchemy is so bad?" Rose said. Again, she scanned the room, picking Winry Rockbell.

"Well, Miss Rose, alchemy is forbidden because it defies how god wanted things. It is an art of changing things, even people, from one form to another. Thus, it defies how the Lord wanted everything to be like."

"Nice! And-"

"Miss Rose, permission to speak, please!" came a voice towards the back.

"Oh, yes, Edward?"

The blond boy stood, looking at the schoolteacher with honest and questioning eyes, rubbing his right shoulder. "Miss Rose, I don't see what makes alchemy such a bad thing. It can be used for good, can't it? Like for healing people, fixing broken things, stuff like that."

A few of the children around him looked up curiously, soft murmurs already springing up. No one ever questioned such simple rules, they were accepted as fact! Alphonse, meanwhile, looked up with concern. Why would his brother ask such a strange question?

The brunette teacher looked sadly at the boy. "Alchemy...Is an attempt to be greater than our Lord. Although He allowed it at first, many people used it for power instead of for good. Thusly, it is now considered an evil act, for we have abused such a great gift, and may never touch it again. I...Believe you know its effects, Edward..."

The boy had his eyes turned downwards, a bitter expression on his face. The children gasped, remembering that bit of gossip they had heard about the strange Elric brothers, and their strange looks and equally strange gaits. Finally, the person in question looked up; he seemed angry at himself.

"Yes ma'am."

**5**

It was late winter. Around the church, through and throughout, most of the teens were out having snowball fights and flirting when the adults were out of sight. The Elric brothers, however, were deep inside the grand marble library.

No one was currently monitoring the place, so the two boys could do as they wished, running around and yelling discoveries across the domed room.

"Hey, Al! I found something on the start of Alchemy!"

"Oh, really? Let me see..."

There was the sound of a distinct 'thud', a human leaping from the height of a ladder, and the gentle sound of running feet.

"Wow...Hey, didn't we see those in that other book?"

"Yeah...But the part on how it _worked_ is torn out, see?"

"'Nii-san...We're looking for the history of it, right?"

"...But it'd be nice to see how it worked..."

"'Nii-san! That isn't good!"

The sound of light bickering and pages turning continued, the brothers oblivious to their audience.

"...Cornello, isn't their interest in alchemy a bad thing?"

"Ah, but you see, Rose...The interest is healthy. Everyone wonders, at one point or another, what that art is all about. Don't worry about it, they'll grow out of the curiosity."

"...Yes, founder..."

**6**

"Another failure," Edward said bitterly into the crisp night air. He and his brother had been combing those marble shelves for weeks now, searching for the history of alchemy. Well, that was what Al was looking at, at least. Ed, on the other hand, was looking for how it actually worked -- on the off-hand side, of course. His brother would worry if he just let it all out. But every lead he found, every possible source...The section on how the magical science _worked_ was always blacked out.

"Ni-san...Why do you want to know so much about it, anyway? I...I thought we were just looking for its history..."

Edward paused, turning in his bed, back to his little brother. Another moment, and he murmured quietly, "...I want to use it to fix things..."

"Like...us?" Alphonse replied softly. There was a gentle klink, metal against metal, as the boy shifted. Three distinct glimmers of light shone in soft moon rays.

"Yeah...Like us..." the elder responded dully. A thump -- something hard and heavy hit against the thin mattress. Another shine, this time from Edward's own bed. The gentle hum of gears working, hinges turning, wheels winding away in their circular lives.

"I'm...Sorry, Al..."

He had been too late, he told himself repeatedly. That day...That day so long ago. If only he had been sensible, if only he had went back to the shelter instead of insisting on exploring the basilica. If only.

There was a gentle 'thunk' again. A metal limb hitting the carpeted floor. Then, the sound of that same metal limb, paired with a soft flesh one, treading the short distance across the room. Springs squeaked, covers shifted. "It's ok, nii-san...Everything's still ok, see?"

Edward leaned back, feeling warmth and comfort behind him, trying to ignore the cold, lifelessness of the two automail arms holding him. He didn't answer his brother's half-plea, just laid there and listened. Crickets. There were crickets out; it was spring, after all. They were loud.

But above it all, he heard the constant drone of automail limbs. It followed him, chasing the boy through his dreams.


End file.
